Chapter 63 A Goodnight Kiss
“Mr. Tristan.” The man was immediately petrified when he saw Tristan. F*ck! She’s his woman, and she was even in his room. I’m doomed.
“Get lost,” Tristan growled. “Sure thing. I’ll leave right away.” With that, the man disappeared without a trace. Everyone in Jipsdale knew their days would be numbered if they dared to cross Tristan, and the man had no wish to meet a sticky end.
Under the crowd’s envious gazes, Tristan extended his hand in a gentlemanly gesture of invitation. “May I have this dance?”
Sophie placed her hand in his, silently agreeing to dance with him. Tristan held her hand and led her onto the dance floor, then placed one hand on her slender waist while resting the other on her shoulder.
As the other ladies watched Tristan hug Sophie’s waist, a thought surfaced in their minds. They wished Sophie would disappear at once and that the person in Tristan’s arms was them.
“D*mn it! Why is it Sophie again? How is she so lucky?” one of them whined. “Yeah! How could she end up with the man of my dreams?”
Another choked out through bitter sobs, “This is going to make me cry myself to death.”
“I won’t let that little minx get away with this!” Danielle hissed through clenched teeth, her fingers gripping the stem of her wineglass so tightly as if she was going to crush it.
Winter was also still among the crowd. I thought I’d get the opportunity to dance with Tristan, not expecting I’d still lose to Sophie in the end. “Forget it. There’s nothing we can do about her,” she said.
“What are you talking about, Winter? What do you mean by there’s nothing we can do about her? She’s just a member of the Tanner family. What could she possibly be capable of doing?”
“You’re no match for her.” Danielle was enraged. “You… Don’t look down on me, Winter. Just you wait and see how I’ll make her suffer.”
Winter knew Danielle would not be able to stir up much trouble. Nonetheless, the latter was capable of causing Sophie some minor upsets, which wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Meanwhile, Tristan and Sophie were twirling away on the dance floor in effortless harmony. It was their first time dancing together, yet they made for a completely compatible pairing. “Mr. Tristan, I didn’t think you had what it took to cause a national crisis,” Sophie remarked.
“What do you mean?”
“Sir, don’t tell me you can’t tell that all the ladies here are thinking of sinking their teeth into me and ripping me to pieces,” Sophie replied, deliberately emphasizing the word “sir.”
“They’re just jealous that you’re much more beautiful than them. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
His response rendered Sophie speechless.
Very well, then. Since you’re so handsome, everything you say is correct.
“Mr. Tristan, this dance doesn’t require us to be so close together, does it?”
At that moment, their bodies were pressed so closely together in uncomfortable proximity, and Sophie was sure that Tristan had to be doing it on purpose.
“It does,” he answered simply.
Sophie fell silent while the ladies in the crowd started buzzing with whispers.
“What the heck? Just as I thought, Sophie is a minx! It’s too shameful to witness!” someone exclaimed.
“You’re right! Is she trying to seduce Mr. Tristan?”
“Let go of Mr. Tristan. Let me hold him instead,” another lady wailed.
Unable to bear the sight of them dancing any longer, Winter turned and grabbed a glass of red wine before exiting the hall.
Watching the man she had harbored feelings for since she was little being so close to another woman was too much for her.
Danielle was also so angry that her face turned pale.
When the music stopped, Tristan still did not want to let go of Sophie.
“Mr. Tristan, I think that’s enough,” said Sophie.
I’ve already been in the limelight too much today, and it wouldn’t be wise to go overboard. I certainly have no wish to make myself more enemies. Although I’m not afraid of them, I already have enough trouble on my plate.
Finally, Tristan loosened his grip.
She’s right. It wouldn’t be appropriate to take things too far. I mustn’t act too hastily.
Having also had her fill of dancing, Ysabelle walked over with Felix.
“Soph, this is your keycard.” Ysabelle handed a keycard to Sophie.
Taking it from her, Sophie said, “I’m exhausted, Belle. I’ll go to my room to rest first. Happy birthday again.”
“Sure. Felix, help me see Sophie to her room. There are many people here who’ve been eyeing her.”
Ysabelle did not think anyone present was worthy of Sophie.
However, Felix made no answer and merely looked at Tristan.
How could he possibly give me the chance to do such a thing?
Tristan piped up, “Felix can stay here with you. I’ll send Sophie up to her room.”
“Goodnight,” Sophie murmured to Ysabelle and the others before leaving with Tristan.
When Sophie reached her room and opened the door, she turned toward Tristan and said, “Goodnight, Mr. Tristan.”
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“A goodnight kiss. Go on in and get some rest.”
Sophie found herself at a loss for words once again.
How did I just get kissed by him again? This man is really… Why does he keep kissing others so casually?
“What’s the matter? Are you hesitating to go into the room because you want to invite me to sleep with you?”
“Get lost,” Sophie uttered curtly, then went into her room and shut the door behind her.
That was the first time anyone had treated Tristan so brusquely, yet he did not appear to mind. Instead, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Sophie’s room was next to Tristan’s, and as Winter returned from drinking her glass of wine, she saw the smile on Tristan’s lips.
Winter was thoroughly agitated by the sight of that smile.
She had never thought she would see him so besotted, and it left her devastated.
“Mr. Tristan…”
She called out his name, hoping he would spare her a glance.
However, the smile on his face faded the moment he saw her.
“Get some rest,” he responded.
The icy manner in which he uttered those three words was worlds apart from how he had said them to Sophie.
“Why her?”
Winter knew she should not have asked that question. After all, Tristan disliked others prying into his private affairs.
I just can’t help it. I really, really, really like him. It has nothing to do with his family background. My love for him is pure and simple!
“What does that have anything to do with you? For your brother’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
With that, Tristan opened the door to his room and went in.
Winter leaned against the door, and her body slowly slid downward.
She did not even dare to make a sound as she cried.
Sophie was fast asleep when she was rudely awakened by a knock on the door.
She pulled the covers over her head, but it did nothing to block the sound.
Left with no other choice, she got out of bed and opened the door.
Then she began berating the person outside the door without even looking to see who it was. “Are you f*cking crazy?”
“It’s me,” Tristan said, unable to resist laughing when he saw her in that state.
“Mr. Tristan, why aren’t you asleep at such a late hour? What on earth do you want?” she demanded.
Sophie would mind her words when she was awake. But at that moment, she could not be bothered to do so at all.
I’m in a bad mood, so he’d better have a good reason for showing up here.
“Come on. I’m taking you to see the sunrise.”
“Can I not go?”
“No.”
Many others were also awake at that time to catch the sunrise. Tristan led Sophie to the uppermost deck of the cruise ship.
No one else was allowed there, and they had the place to themselves.
Because of the low temperature at sea during dawn and the fact that Sophie was still in her evening gown from the night before, she felt rather chilly.
Tristan took out a shawl and draped it over her shoulders.
The view from the topmost deck was breathtaking, and as the pair sat together in silence, the sea breeze swept away Sophie’s drowsiness
Soon, the sun slowly rose above the calm surface of the water.
“It’s gorgeous!” Sophie gasped in awe.
“Indeed. Gorgeous,” Tristan echoed. However, he had his gaze fixed on her instead.
It was not until the sun had fully risen into the sky that Sophie finally turned around.
“I should get back,” she said. She still had the shareholders’ meeting to attend that day.
“Do you have something to do?”
“Yes. There’s something I need to attend to.”
“Okay. I’ll send you back,” Tristan replied. After all, it would probably be noon by the time the cruise ship made its way back.
As Tristan led Sophie down from the deck, the other ladies watching the sunrise appeared upset to see them together.
